Post-hole-boring machine



Mel) J P LAOEY.

POST HOLE BORING MACHINE.

WITNESSES g, ,5, W

N. PETERS, Phata-Lilhogruphur, Washinglons, D. C.

NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FREMONT LACEY, OF DOMESTIC, INDIANA.

POST-HQLE-BORING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,941, dated May '7, 1889.

Application filed August 18, 1888. Serial No. 283,069. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN FREMONT LAcnY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Domestic, in the county of YVells and State of Indiana, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Hole-Borin g Machines and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a front view of my improved post-hole borer, showing the boring mechanism lowered and the auger in the ground. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the boring mechanism raised and the main hinged frame tilted or swung to one side. Fig. 3 is a side view; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line 00 to, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention has relation to post-hole-boring machines; and it has for its object to construct a machine that will reduce the friction incident to the vertically-moving open frame to a minimum, and, further, to provide mechanism which will accomplish a double purpose-namely, that of raising and lowering the vertically-moving frame and that of rotating the auger.

To this end my invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of the same, as will be hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A denotes the base of the frame, having secured in the upper side of one of its longitudinal side pieces, B, a metallic plate, 0, formed near its ends wit-h apertures, through which two downwardly-extending pins, D, project. These pins are secured to the lower sides of the left-hand standard F of the swinging main frame G, which has its other standard hinged to the side piece of the base opposite that side piece provided with the apertured plate. These standards are recessed along their forward inner sides, as shown at H, and the ribs I, formed by saidrecesses, have secured thereto metallic strips J, which form guideways K, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Secured to the upper cross-piece, L, of the swinging main frame is a short curved standard, M, and also a hook, N, the objects of which will be presently set forth.

0 indicates a lever provided with a handle,

tion with the apertured plate 0 and the downwardly-extendin g pins D, the swinging frame, when in a vertical position, will be firmly held against the violent twisting incident to the boring, and also be prevented from swingingor tilting to one side.

S denotes the open frame provided on its sides with bent ears T, the bent ends of which slide in the guideways formed in the standards of the swinging frame. This open frame has journaled in its lower cross-piece and in a cross-piece, U, slightly above, a beveled gearwheel, V, having fixed to the lower end of its shaft a holder or head, W, for the shank of the ground-auger X, which is of the well-known construction. Consequently a further description of the same is not deemed necessary. The intermediate side portions of this open frame receive and afford journals for the shaft Z, upon which is keyed a beveled gear-wheel, Y, which meshes with the gear-wheel V. This shaft is formed with a squared portion, A, upon which a winding-drum, B, slides off and on-that is to say, when this drum is desired to rotate with the shaft, it is slid upon the squared portion, and when not desired-to rotate it is slid upon the rounded portion. A chain or rope, O, is wound around this drum and passes through an opening, D, in the top of the open frame and is secured with its upper end to the curved standard M.

E denotes the cranks by means of which the shaft is made to rotate, and F denotes a hook secured to the side of one of the side pieces of the open frame, and the object of which will be presently described.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The open frame having been lowered so as to bring the auger into engagement with the ground where the post-hole is desired to be bored, the head or holder in which the shank of the anger is secured is made to rotate by turning the cranks. hen in this position, the Winding-drum is slid off the square portion of the shaft onto the round portion and the chain or rope hooked to the hook F, secured to the open frame, thereby preventing the drum from accidentally sliding upon the square portion of the shaft while the boring is going on. Now, when it is desired to remove the auger from the earth, the windingdrum is slid upon the square portion of the shaft, which is made to rotate in the opposite direction to that while boring. The auger, after having been removed from the ground, and which is loaded with soil, is raised, together with the open. frame, which slides with its hooked ears in the guideways of the standards, to about the intermediate portions of said standards, the locked one of which is then unlocked and the mechanism tilted to one side of the base. This tilting causes the soil upon the auger to be slid off to one side sufficiently far from the post-hole to prevent any of it falling back into the same. When the machine is not in use, the open frame is raised to the top of the standards and its top cross-piece hooked to the hook secured to the cross-piece at the upper ends of the standards.

It will be seen that the rack generally employed at each side of the standards, and also the cog-wheel or pinion secured to the vertically-movin g frame, and which is adapted to mesh with the said rack, are entirely dispensed with, thus greatly reducing the friction of the open frame.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood without requiring an extended explanation. It will be seen that it is constructed of but comparatively few parts and that it is not liable to get out of order.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1.. The combination, with the base having a lever pivoted thereto, of a vertical frame hinged to said base with one of its standards and provided upon the side of its opposite standard with a metallic strip formed with a seat, and a lever pivoted to said strip, sub stantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the hinged vertical frame provided with guideways, and provided, further, with a curved standard and a hook at its upper end, of an open frame provided with bent ears upon its sides which slide in the said guideways, a transverse shaft journaled in said open frame and formed with a square portion, a windingdrum and a beveled cog-wheel mounted on said shaft, a vertical shaft also journaled in said open frame, and a similar cog-wheel mounted on one end and an auger-holder secured to the other, and a chain. or rope wound with one end around the said drum and the other end secured to said curved standard and operating-cranks, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN FREMONT LAGEY.

W'itnesses:

SAMUEL FISHER, JAMES A. ENGLE. 

